September 13, 2011

Create Your Own Custom Linux Installation Disc With SUSE Studio

Create Your Own Custom Linux Installation Disc With SUSE Studio

posted on June 11, 2011 by Danny StiebenLinux
is very flexible, and you can do so many things with it. One of its
advantages is that it can run on virtually any hardware. Linux is also
extremely modular, so parts can be added and removed as you please. In
fact, it is this ability that makes Linux a great pick for many users,
no matter what environment. It is also this principle of modularity that
allows SUSE Studio to exist.

About

SUSE Studio is a website that takes the base of the latest versions of openSUSE or SUSE Enterprise
(you can choose), and lets you customize a number of different aspects
of your distro. It’s a very easy process. Just go through the screens,
clicking on whatever you would like to add, change, or remove. There are
actually a handful of things you can do that you might not have
expected from a web service. When you finish with all the configuration,
the service will build your very own custom ISO of openSUSE/SUSE Enterprise with all the settings that you chose.

Getting Started

To start off, you’ll need to sign in or create an account. You can also sign in using a different service (like Google),
and it will automatically create an account on their server for you.
These accounts are important because you’ll receive 4GB of free storage
to be used for this service.

Steps

The
next step is to choose what version of SUSE you would like to base your
Linux installation disk off of. Currently the options are openSUSE
11.4, SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 SP1, and SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 SP4. If
you do not have a specific need for either of the Enterprise versions, I
suggest you select the openSUSE option.

In
no time at all, you’ll be able to start customizing your distribution.
First off is the software selection page, where you can choose to
include certain software packages with your ISO so that you do not have
to download and install it later.

This
is a handy feature to customize your experience right from the start.
Simply search for the packages you want and add them. You can also add
additional repositories if you so desire or upload your own RPM files to include.

The
Configuration tab lets you tweak a large amount of system settings such
as locale, time zone, network settings, firewall settings, and users.
You can also choose different appearances and logos from the Personalize
section, change the default run level and add EULAs in the Startup
section, and edit other server, desktop, and virtual machine related
settings.

In the Files category, you can add any overlay files that you wish. These are applied after all packages are installed.

Finish With a Build

You
can now build your “appliance” in the Build category and download when
it is finished. Then simply burn the ISO onto a CD/DVD, USB stick, or
try it out in a virtual machine. You can do whatever you want with that
ISO file as you can with a more generic one.

Conclusion

SUSE
Studio is an amazing tool for those who want to build custom ISOs for
their own unique needs. I’ve heard a handful of people use this for
everything from server setups to media centers and beyond. Only your
imagination can come up with the perfect combination of packages and
settings to make your Linux experience one of the best.
Do you
think SUSE Studio is a great idea? Will you maybe try it out for your
own needs or just to get a better experience with Linux? What else would
you use it for? Let us know in the comments!